Welcome to our home. Our purpose is to use horses to help young people make better choices in their lives. Our program is not about teaching children to become professional riders. It is about letting them share in the care of a horse, responsibility of ranch chores and having fun. It's about helping children discover that life can have purpose and hope.

PROGRAMS

HHYR provides two distinct programs. Take a look to see which program best fits your needs.

MENTORING

The Mentoring Program helps children gain confidence and higher self-esteem through learning life skills. The focus is on building healthy relationships, learning to communicate effectively, and developing qualities of a good leader. The program is for children 10-18 and consists of 10 sessions that are 90 minutes long. Scholarships based on financial need are available. Next Session begins Monday, August 20th, 2018.

EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is an experiential model of therapy that involves a licensed Medical Health Professional, a certified Equine Specialist, and a horse(s) to help clients identify, face, and work through life challenges. This program is beneficial for children and families who may need an alternative to “talk therapy” in an office. Sessions are designed and scheduled based on individual goals. By appointment only.

HHYR MISSION

PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU

I have wondered for a long time what my purpose is on this earth. I have been a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, all wonderful and fulfilling opportunities to love and be loved. These are things I would never wish to change. However, today I hear the calling to reach out to many more than I can even begin to imagine.

The Lord has put several passions in my heart and has been fueling them over the past six years. When my eldest daughter started youth group as a seventh grader she asked me to go with her as she felt shy and did not know any of the kids. As any nosy mother would, I accompanied her and then I never left. I have been a youth leader since that day. The Lord has deposited in me a passion for young people who are lost and hurting and making bad choices. My heart breaks for these kids that live a life of lies and deception, I want them to know the love of Jesus that can melt a heart of stone, heal any brokenness and fill all emptiness. I don’t want them to miss out another day of knowing how loved they are.

The other passion God has been fueling in me is my love and passion for horses. Again, my eldest daughter started going to a horse stable with a friend and would ask me each time to accompany her to see the horses. I repeatedly told her no because I was concerned that the passion from my youth was going to get rekindled and the timing was wrong. However, I could not keep saying no and did break down and join her one day. Since that day four years ago, I was hooked! Today I still have the same horse that I bought shortly after taking that trip to the stable as well as a second horse that we purchased for our youngest daughter. I have been passionately studying Natural Horsemanship and learning as much as I can about all aspects of the horse. There were times that I thought to sell my horse as it took to much time away from my family but when I would cry out to God asking what to do, He would reassure me it was okay, keep doing what I was doing. Today I understand why I persevered with horses. I’m starting to see the plans he has for me and my family. Not in as much detail as I would like but enough to have me taking baby steps and trusting in His guidance.

I know beyond any doubt that God is calling me to start a Youth Ranch. This dream started a couple years ago as a spark and now it’s a fire that burns in my heart and won’t go away. Fourteen months ago a friend gave me a book called “Hope Rising” by Kim Meeder, I thanked her and placed it on my bookshelf and never found the time to read it. Six months after receiving this book, a different friend gave the same book to me and told me I have to read it. Again, I thanked her and placed it on my book shelf. However, this friend new my heart and passions and nagged me until I read it. March 7th, was the turning point for me, I started the book and God has used it to take my dreams and show me how to move them into action.

Kim Meeder started a youth ranch in Bend, Oregon thirteen years ago. The purpose of the ranch is to rescue horses that have been neglected or abused and rehabilitate them with the help of kids that have been living the same kinds of broken lives. Whatever hardships life has dealt these kids, coming along side a horse which has been beaten down in life, they are able to identify and pour out love, trust and healing on these broken animals. By the grace of God, these kids come to receive the same gifts they are giving the horses. Through this process the Lord does amazing things in the lives of kids and the leaders.

After reading the book, I registered to visit Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon to learn about starting a ranch in Georgia. Today we have incorporated and will shortly be having our first board meeting. We will then move to apply for a non-profit status. We are in the process of looking for land. We are taking baby steps and asking for God’s direction on everything we do. We are diligently seeking Him and He is faithful as always. I can’t tell you what will happen next as God has not shown me the details. However, I am telling everyone about the amazing plans God has started through us. With great excitement I see the fire is burning brightly and hot!

When I read the book I wept! The compassion in my heart has moved me into action! I do not have any stories of our own to share at this time, but please read “Hope Rising.” The stories will resonate in your spirit as miracles. God is still the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. Praise be to God!

His word says that He will give us the desires of our heart. I believe and trust God that He is giving our community Healing Hands Youth Ranch.

BECOME A MENTOR

Becoming a mentor in the HHYR mentoring program is extremely rewarding. While the child is our main focus, many volunteers have felt that the process can be just a valuable to them. Training is every Saturday morning at 9:00am and we invite you to attend.

BECOME A MENTOR

All that is needed is a heart for children and a desire to help them succeed.

Len SImonis

Jack Tuszynski

Kim WIlliams

Jenny Wood-Harris

Jennifer Simonis

Brandon Beach

State Senator

Brandon Beach is the President & CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the North Fulton Community Improvement District.
He received an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA degree from Centenary College.

Brandon and his wife Shuntel have two children, Courtney, 24 and Hunter, 21. They have lived in Alpharetta for 20 years.

Patty Baker

Clerk of the Courts

Patty is currently Cherokee County Clerk of Courts

She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in General Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Dominican College. She has a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Psychology from Adelphi University in New York.

Since moving to Cherokee County, Patty has taken an active Leadership role in her Community. She has served as the chairperson of the Woodstock City Environmental Committee. A graduate of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2003, Patty was chosen by her classmates to serve on the steering committee. She is a member of the Cherokee County Republican Party and Republican Women’s Club.

She has been a member of the Woodstock Woman’s society and has been very active in fundraising activities around the county, including the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross.

Also, as an active member of Optimist International, Patty has helped raise funds for children of Cherokee County in need.

Len SImonis

Business Owner

Len was born in Winnipeg in Canada. It was there that he met his wife Jennifer and they were married in 1984. After moving to Vancouver for 5 years, they moved the Eagle Watch in Woodstock in 1992 and then to the ranch in 2010.

Len earned a degree in Business Administration and a Master in Computer Science. He started his company Elsym Consulting in 1988 and is still involved in its day to day operations. There are 20 employess in Kennesaw and the U.K.

Len and Jennifer attend Liberty Hill Church in Canton and have a passion for youth. While Len has no horse skills whatsoever and hates flies, he does enjoy help to coordinate and administer the functions of Healing Hands Youth Ranch.

Jack Tuszynski

Publishing

I’m Jack Tuszynski and have been a photographer in my hometown of Canton, Georgia for over twenty years. After a decade in the mainstream media as a photo journalist and garnering over a dozen Georgia Press Association awards, I found my true calling in the “good news” business.

Now I’m privileged to have the opportunity to preserve the memories of weddings & anniversaries, new babies & childhood, seniors, class & family reunions, family & executive portraits for many generations to come.

Kim WIlliams

Non-Profit

Kim Williams has been a volunteer at Healing Hands Youth Ranch since September 2011. She is the Camp and Activities Coordinator at Hemophilia of Georgia. She has extensive experience as a camp director, volunteer, event planner, program designer, and fundraiser. Most important, she has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that fuels her passion for Healing Hands Youth Ranch.

She holds a B.S. in Human Services from Kennesaw State University, as well as a certificate in nonprofit management. Kim holds a Masters in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University.

Jenny Wood-Harris

LPC, NCC, CPS

• Responsible for all program dynamics and the development of the North Georgia New Beginnings Independent Living Program, including vocational, educational, equine facilitated therapy, psycho-educational groups and therapeutic services.

• Primary Clinician responsible for providing assessments to the CHINS Juvenile Justice program in Cherokee County.
• Provide supervision for LAPC staff seeking clinical supervision.
• Currently achieve highest level audit scores for the Permanency Based Outcomes through the Office Of Provider Management for the entire state of Georgia.

Clinical Director of Goshen Valley Boys Ranch- 2008 to 2013
• Management of all direct care and counseling services staff.
• Provide supervision and development of clinical programming to include vocational, educational, equine facilitated therapy, psycho-educational groups and therapeutic services.
• Responsible for ensuring the ranch meets all service delivery standards are achieved via Georgia State Dept. of Human Resources, Council of Accreditation and The Georgia State Department of Family and Child Services.
• Provide Clinical Supervision for LAPC staff seeking clinical supervision.
• Responsible for all the assessment and eva1uation of each potential case appropriate tor reunification and best permanency placement